Read More
A defamation suit by Singapore Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng against Bloomberg kicked off Tuesday with sharp exchanges in the High Court over a 2024 article regarding their property transactions.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The ministers claim the article — titled “Singapore mansion deals are increasingly shrouded in secrecy” — falsely implied they exploited a lack of disclosure requirements and sought to hide deals to avoid scrutiny, including suggestions of money laundering.
Bloomberg and reporter Low De Wei deny the claims, arguing the article focused on broader market trends like the privacy benefits of non-caveated purchases.
During cross-examination, Shanmugam told Bloomberg’s lawyer he wasn't there to be given ad hominem remarks, as both sides interrupted each other repeatedly.
Shanmugam argued that Bloomberg had already decided to publish details of his private bungalow sale and was seeking for a way to do so by wrapping it in a wider issue.
Though Bloomberg issued a correction direction under Singapore’s fake news law in December 2024, they made it known that the news agents disagreed with the order.
Bloomberg faces similar pressure in Malaysia, where anti-graft chief Azam Baki filed a RM100 million (US$25 million) defamation suit over an unrelated article.
The trial runs until April 16.
